The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-12
THE LEVEE GOVERNOR
How Samuel d. McEnery
Justly Earned the
Title.
q Record Of Constant Work and
Brilliant Achievement.
sHe Who Maketh Two Blades OF
Grass Grow Where One Grew
Before Is Greater Than lie
Who Taketh Cities"

WHY is Gov. MclLsieIy hho"n 90
Levee Governor? Lot the facts answer
Gov. McEnery succeeded to fhe "oVefnor-
t;ron the death of Gov. Wiltz on Oct. IT,
1881. Owing to the tact that the appropfla-
tions BY the Legislature had largely eAr
ceeded the revenues, the tinanclal analfs VI
the STATE we're in such q condition tilhV u spy
cial session Of the General Assembly became
necessary. Accordingly, Gov Aiehheiy
called j: together Ded. D. In his lnessass W
that body thus early in his administration nc
showed his so!icitudp toward the ievee M
terests of the State, ahd insisted that 'iie IN
amount allowed By .the constitution ono
milD should be appropriated BIZ the AeRlsia-
tnre for levee purposes IN ADDITION W So
much of the swamp sand and drainage 11he
as vas not needed III MAINTAIN the oiie0 u
Register Of State Lands.
This policy iu3favpr Of the construct'7n
and maintenance of the ieyees 80 carry IL
aucursted has been steadily followed 10 tl4e
present time, with what benefits TO the Ntate
let the record show. Before the policy conia
he fairly put in operation Qevee buliolhs iol
the season being practically at an end, oWihs
to the rise of the river. when Gov. Mehhely
assumed the guberisatorlal CHAIR the gtea'
flood OF 1882 came upon the STATE causing
widespread disaster, End direct money loss
in crops destroyed, stock drowned farms
washed away, ETC., of not less than Slo' ooo'-
900, thus abundantly justifung the Gov
ernor's position that every aVai.aDle uoiiaf
that the State coula raise for Inc purpose
should be devoted to building and Strength
ening the leYees. The Governor was proilp'
to come to the relief of the sufferers by the
flood and although there was no relie1 1nhd
available, he did not hesitate to contract
obligations for food and other relief Tor the
unfortunates. His action met the unlYers al
approval of the people, and was prompiiy
rafified nv the Legislature when that body
The food had not entirely passed from the
State, leaving Widespread desolation ana
ruin in its track. when the Legislature as
sembled. In his message the Governor again
strongly urged the necessities OF the levees,
and insisted that il was the duty OF the gen.
eral government to come to the assistance a OF
the State in the matter, holding that 1t was g
ease in which favorable action on the part OF
Congress was not oItly justified but lmpera-
'iT However, Gov. Millinery
DID NOT WAIT: FOR FEDERAL AID.
He recognized that the surest help WAS self
HELM, and bent every energy to rebuild the
broken leyees and put them III order for the
high water of 1888. He succeeded meas
urably; but the flood Of 1882 had been SO
destructive. sweeping a.. away hundreds Gt
m leant Of Of the work vas Impossible with, the
limited means at A,mmand. The flood of
Iss3came, and, al hugh less disastrous than
the one that had csdfd it. proved TeFy
property again swep, away to despair OF re-
lief from. the invading waters. Gov. Nc
Emery, however, WAS only nerved to greater
efforts to rebuild the leyees and avert from
the State the disastrous. consequences OF
overflow. He saw that what was to be done
must be done quickly in order to take ad-
vantage of the. bodybuilding season. He
also saw that the funds al command OF the
State were entirely Inadequate to the purpose
in view. What was to be done9 The Legis-
iat,lre would not meet in regular session Tor
year, and there was strong popular sentl-
ment against special session. In THIS
the H eS a
issued call for i convention to meet at
Baton Rouge June 10, 1888, and to be
composed Of delegates selected by the yari-
GUS police juries and the CITY Council OF
ton, as announced in the call, was the
maintaining, repairipg and building OF
levees: the INAUGURATION of practl-
cal system to prevent and close ,creyasseb:
the adoption of d plan to prevent the cutting
of leyees for roadTays and the use OF them
for highways; and in the means to be EN-
ployed for this improvement OF the naylga'
ton of the Mississippi river"
THE LEyEE CONVENTION,
met at the time appointed. 1t was composed
Of the representative men of the State, it
personnel possessing an influence such as na
been welded by the membership of feT
bodies i'll the State. The moral support o
such body of neil meant the moral supper
of the entire State, and this, support wa
freely and unhesitatingly rendered the Gov
ernor in the emergency which had called tn
convention into life.
GOV. M'ENERY's VIEWS
as to the course to be pursued to save til
State from further disaster, and to provid
an effective levee system. were fully set fort
in message he sent to the convention. Ihl
message was as follows:
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, STATE OF LOUISIANA
Baton Rouge, June Is, 1888.
t'Gentlemen-The people of Louisiana ar
more vitality interested in the construction Q
levees than in any osher public works. With
out all effectual leyee system our, valuabl
and productive alluyial lands will beconl
worthless. Hence have thought it adviss
BILE to issue call for Levee Convention,
meet III this city to-day, the 18th of june
Distinguished engineers ard citizens fro1
other States interested in the levee system {
this State have been invited to attend, all
d deIiB BtrtS - anu "'','' - Wv =,
'Your attention is invited to the specif
objects for which this convention is called
al The Inauguration of plan to preveI
The cutting CT leyees and the use OF them
highways.
which result from the cutting of leveess I!
passage ways aud the nse of them as higl
ways. They are known to every Q,
who resides in levee district III
cut roadways are not closed INT
at a late moment. and then in sn inefficie
and careless manler. The use OF the leve
as roadways has teen one means by viii,
lleyees have bee1 reduced to- to Their .f ptess
high water MARK
''Ip the absen! of legislation adequate
questcd TO provide such local means throus
local authorities as will prevent it until t
next session of the General Assembly, VIII
suitable legislation VIII undoubtedly
SO. Maintaining and repair of levees.
Louisiana has to receive the drainage
1,200, 600 square miles, and this has to
passed over the. surface of the State
to IFS channel That it is practicable SO
contine this vast volume past experience b
demonstrated. But partial line of leye
will not do 1t.
THE ENTIRE L1NEl
has to be constructed with sufficient heig
and base TO Withstand the water.
THE amount of money REQUIRED to do Il
is at present beyond the financial conditi
of the State, but the amount required is 1
so large as to be beyond the hopes of real
There are 1925 miles of levee in Il
State, 40 miles;of which are ON the Miss
sippi. There is. necessity for closing
gaps and of rebuilding the Ashton, Diamo
Island, Bougere and Morganza levees.
The gap at M.rganZa will always threat
the Scott levee The wafer going threu
the creyasse e1tefds through Pointe Coul
and other parishes, reaching the base of I
Scott leyee befo}e the water reaches it
front. The destruction of the Scott ley
would be a calanR ny almost beyond ealcu
ton.
THE break al Ashton ever. year eau.
more or less damage. 1t has made unprodI
hive the valuable lands on the Tellsss and
pyerfows q large extent of country. I
closing of this g&p is also of absolute nee
sity to the improvements of navigation Of I